Frontex involvement in illegal pushbacks in Greece, are ones again proven, this time in a newly released serious Incident Report(SIR) by Frontex own Fundamental Rights Office, from a pushback performed by Greek coast guard outside Lesvos, assisted by Latvian Frontex.
In the afternoon of 25 January, a boat carrying 38 people, all Afghans, had almost reached land in the north of Lesvos, when they were stopped by Latvian Frontex and two vessels from the Greek Coast guard, and illegally pushed back to Turkey.
Greek authorities denied any involvement, as usual, and claimed that they only stopped a boat from entering Greek territory waters, or as they put it, a “prevention of departure”.
We published about this case on May 13, and the case has also been featured in several documentaries.
On February 2, Frontex Fundamental Rights Office launched a Serious Incident Report(SIR 10463/2024), to “clarify allegations of use of violence at sea and a collective expulsion of migrants”.
Their findings and conclusion is crystal clear, the group was illegally and violently pushed back from Greek territory waters by the Greek coast guard, assisted by the Latvian Frontex vessel.
Latvian Frontex then covered up for the Greek authorities in their mission report, so that the crime could go unnoticed, business as usual in the Aegean Sea.
“The Office notes with regret that reporting of the incident by the Frontex vessel crew in the mission report, as well as by the Greek authorities in**, was incomplète and incorrect, with missing information about the migrants’ presence in Greece, and the second handover of the Incident from Frontex to HCG”
The boat was in Greek waters, they were intercepted, their lives were put at risk on several occasions by the Greek coast guard, they were subjected to a prohibited collective expulsion, and both Frontex and the Greek coast guard deliberately covered up the crime by putting incorrect and incomplete information in their mission reports.
Since these Frontex reports are not publicly available, and have a high public interest, we have again decided to publish the entire report. It is of the utmost importance that the these reports are made available to everyone, and not only seen by EU politicians and journalists.
Greek authorities, supported by Frontex, have again been proven to be involved and responsible for human rights violations in the Aegean Sea. The question is, what will Frontex management board and the European Commission do to stop this?
We demand that the European Commission immediately launch infringement proceedings against Greece for systematic and widespread human rights violations, and we demand the ceasing of all Frontex operations in Greece in accordance to article 46 of the Frontex regulation.